Improvement in corn-planters



UNITED STATES 'J W. FAWKES, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,250, dated August 8,1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J. W. FAWKES, of Decatur, in the county of Macon andState of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Corn-Planter; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to makeand "use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 isvertical section of my invention, taken in the line :0 0:, Fig. 2; Fig.2, a horizontal section of the same, taken in the line 3 y, Fig. 1. I

Similar letters of reference indicate c0r.espending parts.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in thecorn-dropping device, and has for its object the dropping of the cornwithout breaking it, and the consequent even distribution of the same.

The ordinary corn-dropping devices which are provided with perforatedreciprocating slides are, as a general thing, the most preferable; butthey are attended with the disadvantage of breaking the corn, caused bythe uppermost projecting grain or kernel in the perforation or seed-cellof the reciprocating slide being brought in contact with the cut 01'1",the action being similar to a pair of shears. This ditficulty is fullyobviated by my improvement.

Areprcsents a hopper of a corn-planter, and B a reciprocating slide,which has two perforations or seed-cells, a a, made through it; and U isa cutoff placed in the lower part of the hopper, underneath which theslide B works, These parts may be arranged in the usual way, andtherefore do not require aminute description.

D D represent two bars, which are fitted on pivots b 1) below the slideB, the latter working or resting on said bars. The pivots 12 1) are atthe outer ends of the bars D D, and the latter rest on springs E E,which are secured at their outer ends to the bottom' plate, a, of thehopper, and have regulating or adjusting screws d d bearing againsttheir under sides, said screws passing up plate 0, as she niclearly inFig. 1. The bottom-plate, c, hasa hole, d, made in it, which is directlyunderneath the cut-off G.

From the above description it will be seen that a certain degree of playor yielding movement in a vertical direction is allowed the slide B inconsequence of said slide resting on the pivoted bars D D, and thelatter, in turn, resting on the springs E E, and in case of agrain orkernel of corn projecting above the upper surface of the slide B ineither of the cells a the slide B will yield and admit of the grain orkernel being forced out of the cell up into i i the hopper as the cellpasses underneath the cut-oft, instead of being broken, as hitherto.Thus the corn will be more evenly planted than by'the ordinaryseed-dropping devices now in use. The corn passes out of the cells a asthe latter get entirely under the cut-off J. W. FAWKES.

Witnesses:

J. G. STARR, A. J. HANKS.

